Citibank was subpoenaed by a GOP-led congressional subcommittee Thursday over potential information sharing with the FBI.
The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) formally issued the subpoenas demanding documentation after deeming the bank’s voluntary commitment insufficient.
“The Committee and Select Subcommittee have obtained evidence showing that no less than one major financial institution provided the FBI with private financial data without legal process,” Jordan wrote to Sunil Garg, CEO of Citibank North America in a subpoena cover letter.
The subpoena is demanding documents and communication pertinent to the subcommittee’s probe of major banks sharing data with the bureau.
Jordan reiterated testimony he cited in a June 12 letter asking for voluntary cooperation, that alleged Bank of America provided the FBI “voluntarily and with none legal process” details about individuals who made transactions within the Washington, DC, area between Jan. 5-7, 2021.
The committee “obtained evidence showing that no less than one major financial institution provided the FBI with private financial data without legal process,” Jordan wrote to Sunil Garg, CEO of Citibank North America.Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Citibank was subpoenaed by a GOP-led congressional subcommittee Thursday over potential information sharing with the FBI. REUTERS
“Given this concerning testimony, the Committee has written to other major financial institutions, including Citibank, to find out whether those entities were involved in similar conduct,” he added.
The Ohio congressman also claimed that the Judiciary Committee and weaponization subcommittee obtained documents indicating Citibank “could have shared customer information with federal law enforcement despite the shoppers having no individualized nexus to criminal conduct.”
A few of those documents suggested that a Citibank representative participated in Zoom calls with the FBI geared toward “identifying the most effective approach to information sharing, each strategic and operational” within the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, in response to Jordan.
FBI Director Christoper Wray has navigated contentious hearings with congressional Republicans deeply skeptical concerning the bureau.AP
Other banks that Jordan previously sought voluntary cooperation from on June 12 include JPMorgan, PNC, US Bancorp, Wells Fargo, and Truist Financial Corporation.
On Thursday, Jordan’s Judiciary Committee fired a pair of subpoenas on the heads of the FBI and Justice Department searching for documents related to alleged government coordination with Big Tech for content moderation policies.